Reader submission: One WW II veteran who did more in his 20s than most do in a lifetime

99-year-old Dick Fitz on his riding mower earlier this year. He will be honored along with fellow veteran Joe Caminiti on July 19 at opening ceremonies at the Bristol Blues baseball game at Muzzy Field. | N. Supranovich

Posted By: David Fortier July 13, 2024

By Neal Supranovich

If this past Fourth of July weekend you happen to be traveling along Lake Avenue in Bristol and saw an elderly man driving a John Deere riding mower down the road, you were not seeing things. That old saying holds true. “That old man did more in his 20s than most do in a lifetime.”

His name is “Dick” Fitz, 99-year-old World War II Veteran, a member of the Navy Armed Guard. He has been shot at by both German and Japanese planes. As a gunner he gave back. The stack on his ship showed a number of aircraft they took down. He took part on the most dangerous supply route to Russia where 70 ships were lost, losing over 3,000 sailors over months.

The chaplain came out to his ship and gave last rites before the vessel even left port–it was that dangerous. His ship was hit by a torpedo on that run, but luckily it was a dud. It did leave a large dent. He has a picture to remember it by.

He spent five days and nights in London. At night in the underground because of V-2 and bombing attacks on London. During the day he got to see the aftermath of the attacks.

Joe Caminiti and Dick Fitz both will be honored at the start of the July 19th Bristol Blues Game. Blues are working on a press release.

Fitz has sailed around the world: visited 23 countries during World War II and saw Sir Winston Churchill, was as close as 20 feet. Fitz, not being Catholic, was even blessed by the pope in Rome. He rode a camel in Egypt and has been inside the pyramids. He sailed through both canals. 

He made 11 trips from United States to United Kingdowm, delivering supplies for D-Day. Each time he crossed it was in a convoy of over 100 ships. 

Fitz’s ship was in the harbor when both nuclear bombs arrived at the airfield. He has a picture of the hole that was dug to load the bombs into the plane, the bombs were so large they could not be slid under the plane to load. They had to dig a hole and roll the plane over it to load them.

When Fitz was 7 years old, he met his uncle for the first time. His uncle had the honor of being the last living Civil War Veteran in Waterbury and one of the last in Connecticut. When Fitz returned from World War II, he was asked to join the American Legion, Post 2 by relatives who fought in World War I and help ed form the Legion Post while they were still in France. These relatives of his help form the American Legion, Post 2 Seicaphrey we know today.

Fitz sent pictures and papers along with letters to his mother during his time in the service. Later when he married his wife, she placed everything into albums so all could see. CCSU interviewed Fitz and used this material to make a video about his time in the service. Some Items he collected during the War were donated to the Bristol Memorial Military museum.   

At 99, Fitz purchased a new John Deere Riding Mower and does his yard and a few others on Sunnydale. He also visits friends riding it.

In 2023 on Veterans Day, Fitz and fellow WWII veteran Joe Caminiti, another 99-year-old, rang the bell of the USS Kidd as part of Bells for Peace ceremony. Fitz said he did it in memory of those relatives he knew who fought in World War I.

Both Fitz and Caminiti will be honored will be honored at the start of the July 19 Bristol Blues Game at Muzzy Field.

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